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Scientists have discovered that dogs can detect a telltale smell related to epileptic seizures, thus highlighting the possibility of training them to reliably warn homeowners when a crisis is imminent.
The results can also help explain anecdotal reports that dogs are able to feel that their owner is about to have a seizure. Knowing when a seizure will occur could allow people with epilepsy to have more control and independence, which means they could take steps to avoid injury. , ask for help or take medication.
Amélie Catala, of the University of Rennes in France and first author of the newspaper, said: "At the moment, there are anecdotes that some people report that dogs alert them before a crisis, but we have no solid evidence in the scientific literature. "
She also pointed out that it was also unclear whether, in such cases, dogs relied on visual cues or subtle behavioral or odor changes, and if the clues were the same from one person to the other.
In the latest study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Catala and his colleagues wanted to check whether specially trained dogs could distinguish between breath and body odor samples taken from epileptic patients during the course of the study. A seizure, from samples taken under normal conditions and after a session of exercise. Before the test sessions, the dogs were trained to target samples of seizures. They were then tested with the help of samples taken from five patients with different forms of epilepsy.
Dogs' ability to detect positives ranged from 67% to 100%, while their ability to correctly identify negatives ranged from 95% to 100%. The findings suggest that seizures are associated with certain specific smells, regardless of the type of seizure or the patient's body odor.
Scientists are now considering whether this tell-tale smell predates seizure, which would eventually allow dogs to be trained to reliably warn owners of seizures.
A spokeswoman for the charity Epilepsy Action said that some people were already relying on their dogs to predict seizures. "We still do not know if they do it by smell or some other way," she said. "So, this research is interesting and could be a next step in understanding how dogs can further help people living with uncontrolled epilepsy."
Rita Howson, general manager of Support Dogs, a charity that trains dogs to help people with autism, epilepsy and other conditions, said, "The dogs are very good observers of human beings. Dogs know what will happen when you take their leash – their behavior indicates it. Their behavior may also change when they detect more subtle signals – perhaps an odor or behavioral change in the client that occurs before an imminent seizure. "
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